


though the truth may vary

by only_by_the_stars



Series: we'll meet again soon [1]
Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, and ch.3 is basically postgame so yeah, for aoc's fifth chapter, thank you to the game's writers for a certain postgame sidequest it was perfect, there are now spoilers in chapter two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27803626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/only_by_the_stars/pseuds/only_by_the_stars
Summary: time changes, but love does not.
Relationships: Link & Prince Sidon, Link/Mipha (Legend of Zelda), Mipha & Prince Sidon
Series: we'll meet again soon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110332
Comments: 49
Kudos: 132





	1. little talks

**Author's Note:**

> There will be spoilers for Age of Calamity in the next chapter, but for now this is safe to read, as this portion takes place during Breath of the Wild.

i. little talks

King Dorephan had long since retired to his chambers, but Link lingered in the throne room nevertheless, unable to choose his next course of action. The guards hadn't given him any trouble when he'd come up here, only bewildered expressions; he could tell they were curious about what business he had there in the king's absence, but figured it was none of their business and so didn't ask. Fine by him, as he didn't feel like discussing something so personal with them anyway.

The thing that kept him frozen in place here sat on a small table: a seemingly simple tome, preserved for over a century and only recently discovered, according to Dorephan. Not for the first time, Link reached out a hand, but stopped before it could even brush the cover. There was no script of any kind on it, but he already knew what this was, what it meant.

_Mipha's diary._

Her most private, personal thoughts, written over a hundred years past. The chronicles of a life cut too, too short by the Calamity. Left behind to outlive the one whose hand had collected them. Dorephan had offered it to him upon his return from a second visit to Vah Ruta, where he'd dispatched a phantom version of Waterblight Ganon as part of a trial set to him by the mysterious Sheikah monk Maz Koshia. The challenge had been to defeat the thing using only the tools that Mipha had had available to her when she'd returned from Mt. Lanayru to find it waiting inside her Divine Beast. Accomplishing it had brought little satisfaction, only a hollow feeling inside his chest as his thoughts turned to how Mipha had fallen while in the same circumstances, far away from any help that could've saved her.

Far away from _him._

And now, seemingly as a reward for his efforts, he had the option to thumb through Mipha's private journal, to gain an insight into her mind before she'd passed on. To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie—here, now, was a chance to gain an answer to a burning question he had. A chance to gain insight into the lost Zora princess who occupied so much of his thoughts these days. A chance to know so many things about her that he hadn't thought to ask on his first trip inside Vah Ruta, because the memories that had brought forth these questions hadn't yet lit that spark inside his mind. But, oh, it was there now. Was it ever.

It'd been a slow trickle, at first, the return of his memories of her. A thought, here and there, that bubbled up from the depths seemingly at random. But by and by they became a flood, until he could no longer ignore the truth that surged forth like a waterfall in his heart.

He knew Mipha.

He _loved_ Mipha.

He had _always_ loved Mipha.

And he'd never told her.

His eyes stinging, Link took another infinitesimally small step towards the table, and this time let his trembling fingertips touch the cover of her diary. Temptation roared up inside him, and he didn't know if he was choking on it, or his own regret, or both. He slid his still shaking hand just under the cover, preparing to open it. Inside it could be the answers he craved so badly. Would he take this chance?

… no.

No, he would not.

Link let go of the book and stepped back, forcing himself to regulate his breathing and banish the tears brimming in his eyes. No. No, no, no. That was a step too far, and he knew it—it was why he'd stood here debating it for the past several minutes, why he'd hesitated for days before even coming here to once again consider Dorephan's offer. The king had told him that surely Mipha would forgive him for looking in her diary, but could Link forgive _himself_ for violating her privacy like that? The answer to that was a resounding no. Regardless of how desperate he was for answers, some lines just couldn't, and shouldn't, be crossed. Reading Mipha's private thoughts fell far beyond that line.

His composure regained, Link turned and walked out of the throne room, ignoring the curious stares of the guards stationed outside. They wouldn't ask for an explanation of his odd behavior, and he had no desire to give one to anyone. 

_Well, except for maybe..._

Link's footsteps quickened as he neared the end of the staircase. He'd spotted the one person here he felt able to talk to about this down below—though to be fair, Sidon was incredibly hard to miss—and his stomach tightened with nervous anticipation as he drew closer. 

As was his habit on many a late night, Sidon was standing in front of Mipha's statue, gazing up at it with an unconcealed sorrow that few were allowed to ever see. His eyes slid over to Link at the sound of his approach, and he nodded in acknowledgment. “Ah, Link... what brings you here at so late an hour?”

“I could ask you the same thing, but we both know the answer.” Like always, his voice was quiet enough that it could barely be heard over the sound of flowing water that always permeated the Domain, but Sidon merely nodded again instead of asking him to speak up.

“Yes... I'm afraid you have the right of it.” A small, pained laugh escaped him, and he turned his attention back to the statue. “Which makes me think I may actually have an inkling of your quest as well... am I right?”

“I...” Link let his gaze linger on Mipha's statue for a second, before averting his eyes. “Yes, I... there's something else I need to know about... about Mipha.” Just saying her name was like a pinprick in his heart. “Your father offered me her diary, but it didn't feel right, so I thought I'd ask you... I'm sorry, I know that talking about her is painful for you...”

“You needn't worry about that, my friend.” Sidon laid his hand on Link's shoulder, and Link craned his neck to look up at him. “It does my heart good to know that she is ever in your thoughts, and of the comfort it would bring her if she knew.” He smiled, though some shadows still lingered in his eyes. “Tell me, what is on your mind this time?”

“I, well...” Link looked down again. “I couldn't help but wonder why... why she didn't give me this herself.” He laid a hand on his chest, on the armor Mipha had so painstakingly crafted for him. “Do you have any idea?”

“Ah, now, that's a question I can't answer.” Sidon heaved a regretful sigh. “My apologies, but I am as in the dark about her motives as you. All I knew back then was that she had made it, and it was clear that it was for you, but she never confided in me about when she planned to give it to you. Either because I was so young, or because I pouted so when I caught her with it.”

“... Pouted?” Link tilted his head to the side as he returned his gaze to Sidon's face. “What do you mean?”

“Ah, well, that is... it's rather embarrassing to say.” Sidon scratched the back of his head, an uncharacteristically sheepish look on his face. “It's a shameful thing to admit, but back then I resented you because of all the time you spent with Mipha. My childish mind was convinced you were stealing her away from me. Of course, I know better now, but I still wince when I think of it. Do you think you could ever forgive me?”

Link shook his head. “There's nothing to forgive. As you said, you were a child. I certainly said my share of silly things at that age.” His cheeks burned at a particular memory. “Like the time I told Mipha that I wanted to marry her when I grew up...”

“Did you, now?” Sidon laughed softly. “And what did my sister say to you upon hearing that?”

“She laughed. But not unkindly.” His throat tightened. “I think she thought it was adorable.”

“Yes, that sounds like her. She would never have been unkind.” Sidon sighed again, and looked back at the statue again. “The irony is not lost on me, Link... had things worked out differently, you may have gotten your childhood wish after all. You might have been Mipha's husband... my brother-in-law.”

“I...” Link's throat closed around whatever he would've said next. Another inexorable wave of emotion was rising up, and he didn't trust that his voice wouldn't shatter if he used it right now. He blinked furiously, trying to will away the fresh tears that threatened to spill over. Trying to find the words to say and the strength to speak them. He opened his mouth, but Sidon shook his head and interrupted his attempt.

“I've said too much. Forgive me, my friend, for letting my words swim away with me.” Sidon laid a gentle hand on Link's shoulder again, and squeezed. “Come now, it's too late an hour to be thinking such heavy things. We should both retire to our respective quarters and rest.”

“... Yes.” Link nodded. His voice sounded so faint, so _strangled_ to his own ears. “You're right...”

He didn't resist as Sidon ushered him along to the inn, barely listening to the exchange between him and the innkeeper, and before he knew it he was curled up on one of the waterbeds offered at a premium price. And as Sidon's heavy footfalls faded away into the distance, he closed his eyes and let the still-unshed tears carry him ungently off to sleep.

\---

Link slept well into the next day, rising at noon to cook himself a meal at the communal cookpot. An idea took hold of him while he ate, one he tried to resist as steadfastly as he'd resisted the temptation to read Mipha's diary. But as afternoon crept into dusk he found his will fading, and as the shadows grew around the Domain so too did his resolve to see this idea through to the end. Finally, as night truly took hold, he pulled out the Sheikah Slate and set its destination to the only place he wanted to be this evening.

To Vah Ruta.

A waning moon was rising lazily into the sky as he arrived; its soft light illuminated the ground beneath his feet with a pale sheen that contrasted sharply with the eerie blue glow of Ruta's artificial lights. The mere sight of the Divine Beast was enough to make Link's heart clench with instinctive dread—he'd never forgotten, and suspected he never would, the experience of traveling within it that cold, rain-soaked day that he'd freed Mipha's spirit. Drenched in Ganon's Malice, enveloped in a strange, icy silence that made the large structure seem somehow claustrophobic, it had been one of the least welcoming places he'd ever visited. Even Mipha's words of encouragement every time he activated a terminal hadn't been able to lift the feeling of sheer _wrongness_ that had settled over him as soon as he'd stepped in. After all, there was no way to deny that it was anything but a tomb.

Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that, though. Link mentally shook himself and walked cautiously closer to Vah Ruta, as close as he dared get before the Sheikah Slate automatically moved him away from the Beast's sights, trained on Hyrule Castle. He waited for a moment, to see if he'd been noticed; as the moment stretched on, he took a deep breath and spoke. “Mipha?” When no answer came immediately, he spoke again, this time in a louder tone. “Mipha? Are you there?”

A beat. And then a voice he hoped he would never again forget. “Link?”

He nodded, and then felt stupid, because he had no idea if she could see him or not. “Yes.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I want to talk to you.” He bit down on the inside of his cheek. “Is... is that alright?”

“Oh, Link... of course it is.” The cool breeze that ruffled his hair seemed to stop, and then the air in front of him stilled and then coalesced into a form that was almost wholly solid, lit by pale green flames that dispelled the illusion of life. Mipha smiled, and Link felt his heart contract painfully at the sight of it. “I'm here. What did you want to talk about?”

“I...” Link gulped. Now that they were both here, it was a lot less easy to know where to start. “That is, I... I wanted to ask you a few things...”

“About what?” If he only looked at her face, it was almost easy to ignore those ghostly flames and pretend she was alive.

Almost.

“A... a few things...” He fervently hoped that she wouldn't notice that he was stalling for time as he tried to think of the right way to phrase his main question, or at least would be too polite to press him on it. “About—about you, and I, and...”

“Oh, I see.” Mipha's gaze flitted away, past his face to the sky behind him. “You still haven't remembered everything about our past. I suppose that's to be expected, though...” 

“No, I...” Link shook his head. “I remember everything now... or close enough, anyway.”

“You do?” Mipha met his eyes again, an unreadable look on her face. “Why, Link, that's... that's wonderful. Truly, I am happy for you. I mean it—it was hard seeing you suffer so, without the knowledge of your own past.”

“It's... much better now, yes. But there are still so many things I don't know.” Link took another deep, steadying breath. “Things I never knew, and need to know now.”

Mipha's brow crinkled in confusion. “Like what?”

“Like... this armor, for instance.” There. That was a start, even if not the best one. “You made this... for me, right?”

“Oh! That... I—I mean, that is...” Mipha waved her hands frantically in front of her, a note of panic rising in her voice. “You—you told me once, when you were just a child, that you wished you could swim the way we Zoras do, and so—and so I thought—that armor would help you achieve that wish, so... so...”

“Mipha, I _know_.” He all but whispered it. “I know what it means for a Zora princess to make armor like this.”

“...oh.” Mipha's gaze fell to Link's feet, and she buried her face in her spectral hands. “Who... who told you?”

“Muzu blurted it out, as part of his argument that your father shouldn't just let me have it.” The memory was almost enough to make him smile at the sheer irony of it. “He didn't believe you'd made it for me, but Sidon spelled it out for him... and the last bit of proof required to make him believe it was to show him how well this fits.”

“And I was trying so hard to be discreet, so you wouldn't suspect anything...” Mipha tentatively glanced up at him from between her fingers, looking utterly mortified. “Link, I... I'm so sorry... I know this must be so awkward for you... it must've been awkward then, too, when he said that...”

“It isn't... Mipha, I...” Link swallowed. “The question I came to ask you—I wanted to know why you didn't give it to me yourself.”

“I meant to. I really did.” She wrapped her arms around herself and averted her gaze. “I had it all planned out, for the day you came to the Domain alone... the day we sat on top of Ruta's trunk and I healed you. Remember?” When Link nodded, Mipha continued. “I had every intention of presenting it to you then, but I lost my nerve... I realized there wasn't any hope after all, no matter what the legends said about that other Zora princess.”

“You...” His heart raced as he summoned up the courage to say what he needed to say. “You were... you were wrong about that.”

Mipha's eyes went wider than he'd ever seen them. “Link... what are you saying?”

“What I should have said a hundred years ago.” He took a step closer to where she hovered just above the ground. “I love you, Mipha.”

“No... oh no... don't...” She clasped her hands over her mouth and turned her back on him. “Please... please don't say that, don't...”

“What?” Link gaped at her. “Why?”

“Because it's too late.” Mipha let out a small sob. “It's far too late... I've had a century to learn to let go of my hopes, and now you come here, and tell me this... oh, it's too much to bear...”

“Mipha, are you...” His heart sank. “Are you saying you... don't... feel the same way anymore?” He knew it was a selfish question, and he hated himself for it, but at the same time he needed to know the answer.

“What does it matter what I feel?” Her shoulders shook, and she still didn't look back at him. “It doesn't make a difference.”

“It makes a difference to me—Mipha, please, I—”

“Link—”

“ _Please_.” His voice broke. “Please, Mipha... just... tell me the truth.”

A long pause.

Link waited, barely breathing, heart racing wildly.

And then Mipha turned to face him, her eyes shimmering as if with tears.

“You know the truth.” Although her voice was quiet, the meaning contained in those words came through like a scream shattering the night sky. “I have always loved you, Link. In one shape or another. And I always will. But it's as I said—my feelings no longer matter now.”

“They've always mattered to me.” Oh, if only he could take her hands, even just one last time. If only he could touch her face, hold her close. _Anything_. “Always.”

“Oh, Link...” Mipha buried her face in her hands again, and he could see her fingers trembling. “Why must you come here and say such things? Don't you understand? This can never be. We lost our chance... if ever we had one to begin with.”

“We didn't just lose it.” His hands curled into fists. “I _wasted_ it. I could've told you much sooner than this, and we would've had some time together...”

“But it wouldn't have lasted.” She shook her head. “No confession you gave me could have stayed Ganon's hand... I would still have perished inside Ruta. This was how things were meant to happen, no matter how much we might prefer otherwise.”

“No... that's... I don't believe that.” Link's eyes stung. “There has to have been some way it could've been averted. Some way that things could've been different.”

“Oh, Link.” Mipha closed her eyes and sighed, the sound seeming to press down upon the air around them with a palpable weight. “Do you really think I haven't wondered that before? For the past one hundred years, I've gone over that day in my head, time after time, trying to figure out what could've been done differently. I've never come up with an answer, and the last thing I want is to see you torture yourself like that. You deserve better.”

“So did you.” He started to reach out a hand, but let it fall uselessly back to his side as he realized it would only pass through her. “We both deserve better than... than _this_ , but no one more than you.”

“You're kind to say so.” Mipha opened her eyes, and the sorrow in them nearly brought him to his knees. “But regardless of what anyone deserves, we are still here. Our story is still over. And so you must close the book and move on.”

“I can't.” His voice came out in a strained whisper. “Not when I keep thinking about this armor, wondering what could've been if you'd given it to me, if I'd spoken the truth to you sooner.”

“Let that go.” Mipha lifted a hand as if to cup his cheek, though he felt nothing. “ _Please_. You need to release yourself from that burden. You have to bury me, Link.”

“No.” He shook his head wildly. “I can't—I—you're anything but a burden to me, how can you say that?”

“Because it's true.” Mipha smiled sadly. “If you don't let me go, I will become a burden to you, keeping you from moving on with your life.” She gestured to herself, to the flames that bobbed around her. “I am frozen in time, Link—I can never again be anything more than what you see now. But you... you're still moving. Still living. So live. _Please_. All I've ever wanted is your happiness, even if it isn't with me.”

“I don't want to.” His hands trembled at his sides. “I want—I wish that—that we could've—”

“I did too,” Mipha interrupted, her voice breaking. “More than you know. But the time for wishing is over. You must learn to leave such thoughts behind, as I have had to.” She clasped her hands in front of herself, and backed away from him. “Move forward, Link. Move forward and be happy.”

“How—” 

He reached for her again, this time not caring if his fingers would slip through her, but froze as she vanished. For a moment he could do nothing but absorb the shock of her disappearance, but as he recovered he drew a shaky breath and finished voicing the question he'd started. 

“How am I supposed to do that without you?”

And in the stillness of the night, he waited.

Waited for an answer that never came.


	2. safe to shore

ii. safe to shore

Link ran.

He ran through the foothills like a man possessed, heedless of all danger to himself. The numb despair he'd fallen into upon seeing those images of the Divine Beasts on the Sheikah Slate had transformed into a sort of frantic terror, resulting in this mad dash once they'd gotten close enough for it. He cut down countless monsters on his way, many of which didn't even see him coming before the Master Sword dispatched them. No mercy, no pity—he had to reach Vah Ruta before it was too late. 

He had to reach _Mipha_ before it was too late.

Behind him, Impa was doing a good job of keeping up, but Zelda was falling behind, only catching up when he took a slight pause to destroy another cluster of Bokoblins or a Wizzrobe, and even then only for a few seconds. Elsewhere, he knew Urbosa, Revali, and the two strangers that had come to aid them in their Beasts were doing their part to clear the battlefield and keep their allies safe. He could only silently pray to Hylia that whatever miracle had taken place this day had worked for Mipha too and was keeping her safe until he could reach her side.

How had everything gone so _wrong?_ They'd had the perfect plan—find pilots for the Divine Beasts, unearth the Guardians and ready them for the day that Ganon rose, find a wielder for the sword that sealed the darkness—and carried it out to the letter. The only flaw in it _seemed_ to have been that Zelda was still unable to awaken her power, and even that could've been more easily dealt with than the cruel twist Calamity Ganon had flung into the works. The Guardians turned against them, the Divine Beasts corrupted and stolen by monsters that threatened to kill their Champions... they really had been caught by surprise, in the very worst way.

And yet, there was still hope. There was still _hope_ , as long as they moved quickly enough. None of this seemed quickly enough to Link, of course, but he couldn't let himself think about the worst-case scenario now, lest he break down and slow his speed. They'd already used enough time on the rescue of Urbosa and Revali; he didn't begrudge them their lives, of course, but it had neverthless been hard on his heart to have to wait like this to go to Ruta. He'd wanted to come here first, but had been overruled by Zelda and Impa, who'd insisted that it made more sense to go to the closest Divine Beasts first. Panic had clawed its way steadily up his throat every moment that had gone by, was _still_ writhing inside him, making him almost grateful that he hadn't eaten since before they'd made their escape from Hyrule Castle. It'd been night when they freed Naboris and Medoh, and now dawn was breaking over Cephla Lake as they raced towards Ruta. 

_Mipha, please... please hang on until I can reach your side._

_Mipha..._

In his haste he almost tripped over a loose rock dislodged by an Octorok whose corpse lay nearby, but he managed to keep himself upright and didn't lose any speed. Exhaustion could wait to set in until he was assured of Mipha's safety—right now, the adrenaline was too great for him to feel any of it. A Moblin reared up to block his path, and Link bisected it without pausing, leaping over the remnants as it let out a death rattle and collapsed. Nothing, _nothing_ could be allowed to block him from reaching her. She was too important. Losing her was... unimaginable. He literally _couldn't_ think about the idea of living his life without Mipha in it, his brain locked up and went blank at the very thought. He could not, _would not_ , allow the worst to happen. She mattered too much to him.

They'd met when he was only four years old, and in all honesty, he didn't have much of a clear memory of his life before that time. Only vague thoughts and feelings, an image here and there. It was that way with most people, to not recall the memories of their youngest days. But then Mipha had come into his life, and all his memories after that point seemed to be illuminated with an almost painfully beautiful light. They'd been almost inseparable after that first meeting, until the time came for him to depart for Hyrule Castle to begin his knight's training. Those long years had seemed like an eternity, yet had melted away in an instant as soon as he'd seen her face upon his recent return to the Domain. Everything he'd felt for her as a child had come rushing back in that moment, so fast it'd been dizzying. It was almost like no time had passed at all.

Almost. Because there _were_ differences, stark ones. One of the first things Mipha had said to him was that he hadn't changed, but they both knew he had. Everything he'd been through, the stress and pressure he was under, had transformed him from the lively boy she'd known into the silent, stoic man he was now. It was a wall between them that hadn't existed before, and they were both trying, whenever they could, to feel their way around it. It was hard, though, so hard, and it didn't help that Mipha herself seemed oddly awkward around him at times, making him unsure of how she truly felt about him. It was clear she still cared, that much was obvious, but in his lowest moments he found himself wondering if she was disappointed by the alteration in his personality, even if she would never say it. That thought was... well. There were a lot of words that could describe it, but if Link were to be completely honest with himself, the best one would be “devastating”. Because the truth was that his feelings for _her_ had drastically changed, and it had started the day they reunited. That had been the first step in a long drop off a dangerous precipice, and only now was he truly aware of what had happened to him.

He was falling for Mipha.

He _had_ fallen for Mipha.

And if he didn't get to Vah Ruta in time, he would never get the chance to tell her exactly what she meant to him.

“There!” Impa's voice rang out behind him, rising above the din of the battle that raged around them. “Just ahead—it's Vah Ruta, we're almost there! Oh, but—”

Her words cut off in a loud groan, and a split-second later Link skidded to a stop as he saw what had provoked that reaction: a Malice swamp blocked their way, just like the one back in Korok Forest. If he hadn't trained himself so well to not react outwardly to anything, he would've screamed out of the same frustration that was written all over Impa's face as she drew up beside him. They didn't have _time_ for this, every minute counted, every _second_ , any delay could be disastrous, even now Mipha could be—

—no. He couldn't think about that, not if he wanted to stay sane and together enough to get through this.

“You've gotta be kidding me,” Impa muttered. “ _Again?_ Ugh, come on!”

“We'll split up,” Zelda said from behind them as she caught up at last, struggling to catch her breath. “If we each take a different path, we can find whatever's causing this and eliminate it. We _will_ get there in time!”

Impa nodded. “I really hope you're right,” she said as she dashed off. 

_So do I_ , Link thought, but he didn't say anything aloud. He merely nodded his own acknowledgment at Zelda, and ran off in another direction. 

_Mipha... hold on... please, hold on... wait for me..._

As he dashed back through the battlefield searching for something, _anything_ , that would dispel that vile mass of Malice, memories began to flash across his mind's eye. Mipha, healing his wounds the first time they met. Mipha, laughing gently and ruffling his hair when he'd declared that he wanted to marry her when he grew up. Her proud smile when he'd finally started to keep up with her and the other Zoras during swimming lessons—he would never be able to match their skill in the water, but she'd encouraged him to feel pride in what he could do nevertheless. The way she'd hugged him tightly the day he'd left the Domain, promising the distraught child he'd been that they would see each other again someday and imploring him not to worry. The warmth in her eyes when they'd finally reunited, the beauty and grace of her movements as they fought the Lynel to keep her younger brother safe. The soothing feel of her magic, knitting together broken bones and shredded skin as if they'd never suffered any damage. The way his heart skipped a beat every time she said his name, how beautifully she'd seemed to glow from within at the Champion's Festival, suffused in the soft light of all the luminous stones he'd personally collected for the occasion. And of course, her solemn expression as she left for her Divine Beast in preparation for the Calamity's arrival.

He didn't know what he'd do if that was the last memory he ever got of her.

Link didn't have time to dwell on that, though, as something caught his attention just ahead. A pool of more Malice pulsed on the ground a few feet away, and in the midst of it an even more grotesque sight: an eyeball, suspended on what looked like tendons sprouting up from the sickening clump of pink and black. It seemed to be staring blankly ahead, but as he got closer it blinked and turned itself to face him. A chill went down his spine and nausea spiked in his empty stomach, but he didn't hesitate. He drew his sword and slashed at it, and the eyeball easily burst within two hits. He jumped backwards, but the eye merely dissolved into pink and black smoke, and some of the Malice it had been protruding from did the same.

One down, hopefully very few left to go. Link nodded in grim satisfaction at it before turning and resuming his hurried search. With any luck, Impa and Zelda had eliminated eyes like these as well, and the path would be clear soon.

He wasn't entirely sure which way to go, not being overly familiar with this area, but something—whether it was instinct, intuition, or just desperate need—pulled him in a particular direction. His pace slowed only when he reached a somewhat sharp incline, and he finally began to feel a little of the strain he was putting himself through as his legs started burning and his breathing became more labored from the exertion of running up a hill at full speed. Link did his best to ignore it, though, and pushed himself on through the pain. He couldn't slow down now. Mipha was waiting for him, so he had to keep going with everything he had.

As he neared the top of the hill, he saw it: another Malice eye. Link's already frantic pulse sped up, and the tiniest bit of relief coursed through him at being one step closer to where he needed to be. He cut down a few Bokoblins that tried to get in his way, leaving their corpses on the ground without a glance back as he advanced through the metal archway towards the eye. It wasn't looking at him, and in fact seemed to be closed up, but that didn't matter. All he had to do was—

“Link, look out! It's—”

Impa's voice was cut off by an all too familiar roar. Turning around, Link saw an Ice Lynel galloping towards him, Impa in pursuit with her weapon drawn.

Link saw _red_. This was the last, the _very_ last thing he wanted or needed to deal with right now. Unsheathing the Master Sword, he flung himself straight into the Lynel's path, his entire body vibrating with barely suppressed rage. It swung its enormous swords at him and roared again, but Link nimbly dodged it and dashed in to deliver several rapid strikes aimed at its side. The Lynel howled in pain, and swung again at him, but Link just barely managed to get away once more and repeated his attack, each hit more vicious than the last. It tried again and again to land even one blow in return, but Link in his fury was more agile than usual, and refused to give the thing any quarter. Blood spattered on the ground, and arrows fell uselessly beside it as Link avoided being hit by its attempt at a ranged attack. Shards of ice hurtled through the humid air, but missed, embedding themselves in rocks.

He was bound to make a mistake at some point, though, as blinded by anger as he was, and it soon happened. A roaring charge from the Lynel knocked Link off his feet before he could use Cryonis to halt its advance, tossing him into the air like a rag doll. He managed to land on his feet, but hard, and he stumbled to his knees, and only by Hylia's grace did he avoid dropping the sword. The wind had been knocked out of him, however, and the Lynel reared up, swords poised for attack—

“Hey, over here! Yeah, _you_ , you freak of nature!” The Lynel wheeled around, snarling, to face Impa, who now held a Fire Rod in her hand. “Take this!”

She swung the rod, and a column of flame erupted around the the Lynel. The sound of the fire bursting around its body almost drowned out the blood-curdling scream of pain it let out as its already torn flesh sizzled and melted under the assault. Link nodded gratefully to Impa before getting up and rushing in again as the Lynel collapsed to the ground, the aura of ice magic around it temporarily reduced to a puddle of water polluted with bits of burnt skin and hair. It would've recovered it eventually, but Link didn't give it the chance—lifting his sword above his head, he jumped up onto its bent back and drove the blade down into its thick neck. A final roar became a gurgle in the Lynel's ruined throat, and it was dead before Link yanked the sword out and jumped back onto the ground. 

Impa whistled. “Hey, nice work! You've got this down to an art now!”

Instead of replying, Link just shrugged, and resumed his course towards the eye. It was open this time, and only got the chance to blink once before he destroyed it. Impa ran up to join him. 

“I took care of another one already, hopefully this'll be the last...” She rushed to the edge of the cliff while Link sheathed his sword, and her expression brightened instantly. “Yeah! It's gone!” She grabbed his wrist and yanked him the rest of the way over to her. “Go on, Link! I can watch over the princess, you just go save Mipha!” She winked, a knowing expression on her face that would've left him mortified under any other circumstances. 

As it was, though, his frayed nerves were barely hanging on by a thread, and he didn't need any encouragement to keep going the way he had been. Link gave Impa only the tiniest of nods before he jumped off the cliff, pulling out the parasail as he fell to ease his landing. Maybe it wasn't the safest way to get down to where he needed to be, but it was certainly the fastest, and speed was his highest priority right now.

_Not much farther now... please let me be in time..._

_Please..._

Vah Ruta's trunk lay in the calf-deep pool of water just beyond where the Malice swamp had previously blocked the way, answering the question of how he was going to board the thing. Link pushed himself into another burst of speed, and leapt, launching himself onto the trunk. He landed with only a slight wobble and immediately began running again, propelled by the terror of what he might find within.

 _It's going to be fine_ , he told himself, wishing he believed it. _She will be fine. You're almost there..._

The temperature dropped as he got closer to the control room, and it was easy to see why: the shallow water Mipha had told him covered the floor in there had been turned into ice. Link's feet slid a little, but he regained his footing—

—only to nearly drop to his knees out of sheer relief at the sight that greeted him. One of Calamity Ganon's horrible shards was there, but so was Mipha. _Alive_. Clinging to her Lightscale Trident and barely standing, but alive. And she wasn't alone—a much taller Zora carrying two spears stood behind her, breathing heavily. A mystery rescuer from beyond time, much like the ones that had come for Urbosa and Revali. _Thank Hylia..._

“Such strength...” Mipha's voice sounded so winded and weak that it shook Link to his core. Never, in all their battles together, had he heard her like this. “I must...” She stood up straighter and lifted her spear as she took a few tentative steps towards the monster that had invaded her beloved Vah Ruta.

“Sister, please! Don't!” the other Zora pleaded, his voice full of anguish. 

_Sister? Then this is..._ Link shook himself. No time to try and unravel _that_ one. He rushed forward again, his boots echoing on the ice, and the noise drew Sidon's attention. He turned, his eyes meeting Link's, and the relief that surged into them was palpable.

“Ah! My friend, I am so glad to see you here! You have exquisite timing as always!”

His voice was loud enough that it could be easily heard even over the Ganon shard's horrible hissing noises, and Mipha halted in her advance to turn and see who her brother was talking to. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she locked gazes with Link. “Oh! _Link!_ ” Her eyes grew bright and her voice trembled. “I... I prayed you would come...” 

“I'm here, Mipha.” Link moved to stand at her side and unsheathed his sword, not taking his eyes off the abomination above them. The utter bizarreness of a grown-up Sidon somehow being here and _knowing_ him could be dealt with later. Right now, the most important thing was ensuring Mipha's continued safety. “Let's do this.”

“Right!”

They sprang into action together, much as they had so many other times. The major differences were that Mipha was moving slower due to her exhaustion from what had clearly been a lengthy battle before Link's arrival, and that this time they had a third and most unexpected person fighting beside them. Sidon moved surprisingly quick for his size— _Hylia_ , this was so weird—and wielded his twin spears with visible skill. His movements didn't have the grace or fluidity of Mipha's fighting style, but it balanced out due to the sheer power of the blows he struck.

“What a joy it is to fight at your side, my friend!” Sidon called out as Link swung his sword, shattering a massive ice block that the Blight had created. “To have you here to help me aid my beloved sister... what a wonder this day is!”

Link merely grunted in response, both out of an uncertainty of what, exactly, to say to that, and also due to his intense concentration on evading the monster's attacks. It was swinging its massive flail around again, winding up for what could be a lethal blow, and he had to be ready. It reared its arm back— _there, now_ —lunged— _jump_ —and swung, aiming for where he and Mipha were circling it. Link leapt out of the way at the last second, even as Sidon jumped in to block the spiked ball of ice with his spears and send it hurtling back into the thing's face (if it could even be called that). It let out another one of its horrible noises as its own weapon connected with it, sagging in the air and leaving it wide open for Link's follow-up attack.

He all but flew at it, slashing furiously again and again. The Master Sword hummed and glowed in his hand, as if it too thirsted for this creature's blood. And yet there was also deadly precision in his strikes. Link managed to sever the appendage that held the flail and crack its lance, before the thing shook itself free of his assault and vanished, teleporting across the battlefield again in a blaze of blue light. 

_Where now?_ Link swiveled around, his eyes darting to every corner of the room as he waited with pounding heart for the creature to reappear. Any second now, it would—

“ _Link!_ No!” 

Mipha's terrified cry was the only warning Link got that their foe had rematerialized behind him, but it was all he needed. He jumped out of the way just in time, leaving the Blight's already cracked weapon to slam uselessly into the ice and shatter, leaving only a jagged edge that was shorter but no less deadly. It roared in anger as Link dodged its attack, and then in pain as Sidon moved in, impaling its side with both of his own spears. It screamed, and fought to free itself, bringing its broken weapon up in an effort to attack the one stabbing it, but Link refused to give it that chance. He launched himself into the air, much as he had with the Lynel earlier, sword at the ready.

_Now—this is it!_

He drove the sword down, down, down, into what passed for the thing's skull, right where its forehead would've been if it had been anything but the vile creation it was. Its ear-piercing shriek continued even as Link yanked the blade out and leapt back onto the ice, right beside Mipha. They watched as it thrashed around, black smoke billowing forth from its wounds, until it collapsed in on itself and vanished. For good this time.

“Is... is it over?” Mipha turned to look up at Link, and he nodded. “Oh... good... that's good... I...”

She swayed, dropping her spear, and would've crumpled to the ground beside it if Link hadn't dropped his own sword and shield and grabbed her, pulling her against him in a tight embrace. Mipha seemed to freeze for a moment, as if startled by his actions, but almost immediately relaxed. Link's ears were ringing from the Blight's dying screams, but he still managed to hear the barely audible sound of Mipha whispering his name. 

And that was what did it—that was what brought the dam crashing down. Everything that had been building up and churning inside him since he'd seen that image of the corrupted Vah Ruta finally gave way. All the terror, all the grief, all the sheer panic and anguish... none of it could be held back any longer. 

Link couldn't even remember the last time he'd let himself cry. But now that he'd started he couldn't stop, the tears coming relentless as a waterfall as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, trying so hard even now to not make a sound. He could feel Mipha trembling in his arms, and he knew he was shaking just as badly. It was a wonder he was still standing, really. She lifted her head slightly, and he heard her draw a deep breath. It seemed like she was about to say something, but then she pressed her face into his shirt without a word, and the sudden dampness there told him that she was crying too. 

_Mipha... I..._

He wanted so badly to say the words that were burned into his heart, but his voice wasn't working. The one time he actually _wanted_ to speak, he couldn't. Maybe that was for the best, though; after all, he still had no idea how she truly felt about him. His intervention today had been welcome, but a confession of love might be less so. Still, it did nothing to diminish his joy over having saved Mipha from what almost certainly would've been her death.

Not that he wanted to think about what could've happened had he been any later, or if Mipha had been left to fend for herself. A merciful distraction from dwelling on that line of thought came quickly, as Sidon knelt on the ground beside them and wrapped them both in a firm hug. He didn't say a word, but Link could tell that he too was starting to weep as he held them in his arms. 

They had come so close to losing today. Much too close. And the danger was far from being truly over. But for now, at least, they could have this small moment of relief, and release.

\---

Link leaned his head back against a tree and closed his eyes. Not far away, he could hear all the myriad sounds of soldiers and civilians alike, working hard to shore up Fort Hateno's damaged defenses and treat the wounded. Bury the dead. He himself had tried to pitch in, to find something to do to help, but Zelda and Impa had ganged up on him and shooed him off to the woods beyond the fort to rest because he had, in their words, already done enough for now. He'd only barely resisted.

He'd never admit it to them, but it felt so good to just _sit_. To just sit down on the grass and rest for a few blessed minutes. Everything had been pretty much non-stop battle and chaos since the Calamity had risen, with few real chances for a breather. To have one now, even if it ended soon, was a gift.

Lost in the contentment of a sunny day beneath a tall tree, Link was just starting to doze off when a loud voice startled him out of it. “Link, my dear friend! Forgive me if I am intruding, but would you mind if I joined you here?”

Sidon. Link didn't need to open his eyes to see that it was him, but he did anyway. If he was honest with himself, this was still taking some getting used to. “... Sure.”

“Excellent! Thank you!” Sidon beamed down at him, and then took a seat right across from Link. Even sitting down, he was still large enough to block the sun that would otherwise have been right in Link's eyes. “How are you today? We haven't had much chance to really talk to one another since my arrival.”

“I'm good.” Link barely stifled a yawn. “And you?”

“I'm...” Sidon paused for a moment before continuing. “Ah, that is... I confess I have an ulterior motive in joining you. There are things I would like to discuss with you...”

Link raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”

“Well, ah, you see...” He laughed nervously. “The funny thing is, now that I'm here, I don't quite know how to begin...”

“That's fine.” Link tried to relax his posture again, having tensed up at Sidon's admission even though he wasn't sure why. “I... have a question for you too, in the meantime...”

“Oh?” Sidon brightened up. “Ask me anything, my friend!”

Link's brow knitted. “You keep calling me that. And yet... I don't know why.” He looked away, down at the grass. “I'm sorry, but I don't have... that is... I don't know you like...” He gestured at Sidon. “Like this. I've only ever met you when you were...” He held his hand over the ground in an approximation of Sidon's height as a toddler. “So maybe you could explain some of this to me?”

“Right, of course.” Sidon laughed. “Forgive me, Link, I keep forgetting that you are not the same Hylian I know in my time. Not exactly the same, at least, I should say.” He cleared his throat, a more serious expression taking hold of his face. “I've told you that I traveled here from the future... to be more precise, I've come from one hundred years hence.”

“One...” Link stared at Sidon, barely able to comprehend the words he'd just heard. “No, that... how can that be, how could we know each other if that's the case?” 

“I know it sounds impossible, but it is the truth.” 

“How?”

“... You fell.” Sidon's voice was quieter now. “During the Calamity you fell in battle, and many believed you were dead. But Princess Zelda saw to it that you were taken to a place called the Shrine of Resurrection, where you slumbered for a hundred years until your body was recovered enough to take up the fight again. That is what you told me, at least, shortly after we met in Zora's Domain.”

“One hundred years...” Link whispered, mostly to himself. He could scarcely wrap his brain around the idea. Yet it must be true—Sidon had no reason to lie, and didn't seem the type anyway.

“Not long after you awoke, you came to the Domain seeking to wrest Vah Ruta from the Calamity's control, and that was how you and I came to be acquainted.” Sidon smiled fondly. “I had been in search of a Hylian to help stop the Beast from flooding our home, and what luck to have to found you! I... wasn't able to do much in the end, but at the very least I helped you board Vah Ruta so that you could free...” He stopped, a pained expression flitting across his face.

“... Mipha.”

“... Yes.” Sidon closed his eyes. “She was... not so lucky in my time. Neither of you were. Unlike her, you at least survived, but... not unscathed.”

Ice skittered down his spine. “What do you mean?”

“Your long slumber in that shrine... it healed your body, but...” Sidon sighed. “The cost was that it robbed you of all your memories.”

“I...” _I think I'm going to be sick..._ “You... you're telling me that I... forgot everything? Forgot every _one_?” His voice broke on the last word.

“I'm afraid so.” He nodded. “When you first came to the Domain, you did not even remember my dear sister until you stood in front of her statue.”

Link looked away, his vision blurring suddenly. The silence that fell down between them stretched on interminably until he finally trusted his voice again. “... I'm sorry.”

“Link, no.” Sidon's expression softened. “Please do not apologize, my friend—there is nothing to feel guilty for. None of what happened in my time was your fault, in any way. And if it helps, you eventually regained many memories of her, and returned often to the Domain to ask me about her in order to fill in the gaps. Why, only a few days before my departure to this era, you came to me and asked why she—” Another pause. “Forgive me, I've nearly said too much again.”

“Why she what?” Link tilted his head to the side.

“Ah, now, that I cannot answer until I've asked you what I came here to inquire about in the first place.” Sidon shifted slightly on the grass. “Link, how... how close, in this time, are you and my sister?”

And there it was. The tension he'd felt earlier returned in full force, this time with a tangible reason why, his stomach twisting into knots and his heartbeat quickening. “I—that is, we're—” He racked his brain for the right words, realizing in a panic that he had _no idea_ what answer Sidon might want to hear. “She—she's very important to me, you know that, she always has been—she's my best friend and I—” _I love her..._ “It meant the world to me to be able to save her...”

“I see.” Sidon's yellow eyes were unreadable. “So then... if she were to, say... give you a particular gift... how would you react?”

“A particular...” Link's voice trailed off as the full meaning of Sidon's words slammed into him with the force of a tidal wave. He wasn't completely ignorant of Zora traditions, after all, and a question this pointed could only be referring to one thing. Heat suffused his face, hotter than Death Mountain, and goosebumps sprang up all over his arms. “You... you mean...” A nod from Sidon. Link gulped. “I... so... you want to know if I'd... if I'd accept?”

“Yes.” Another nod. 

“I...” Link swallowed, past the lump that had formed in his throat. Half of him was in a full-blown panic over what to say, while the other half... the other half was consumed by a surge of unexpected hope bubbling up inside him. Mipha? Give him _that?_ He felt dizzy. Giddy. Confused. A million things at once, so many that they might overload his exhausted brain. And through it all Sidon was still waiting. Still looking at him with that expression that revealed nothing of what he was thinking.

_Speak._

_Speak._

_You have to say something._

“... I would.” He could barely hear his own voice over the pounding of his heart. “She is—I—”

“That's what I hoped you would say!” Sidon's grin reappeared, brighter than ever, and he seized Link's hands in his, shaking them vigorously. “You don't need to say any more, my friend—I can see the truth in your eyes, and that is enough for me. My sister should be the first to hear those words.”

If he hadn't already been sitting, Link would have collapsed from the sheer relief of having given the correct answer; hell, his limbs felt like jelly anyway. Despite that, he somehow managed to let out a small laugh. “You... have an interesting way of looking at things.”

“So I've been told!” Sidon paused, and his smile faded again.“With all that said, I can finally answer your question. A few days before I was summoned to Vah Ruta, you came to me to ask why she hadn't presented her gift to you before the Calamity. I still have no idea, but I do know this—the two of you never got to be happy the way you deserve, and because of it you were drowning in your own pain and regret.” He leaned closer. “I implore you, Link—don't let this second chance go to waste. _Tell her._ As soon as you are able.”

“I—but—” Link bit the inside of his cheek. “What if she... doesn't feel the same way? As she did in your time?”

“I know my sister, Link.” Sidon let go of his hands and sat back. “And I swear that you have nothing to fear. Will you promise me that you won't squander this chance at happiness?”

“I...” Link closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes. I promise.”

He couldn't wash away the grief that burdened his other self. He knew that.

But if he could save _this_ version of himself, of _Mipha_ , from meeting that same terrible fate... then yes, he would do whatever it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose some timeline justification is in order? I know that AOC's gallery lists the Fire and Water cutscenes ahead of the ones for Air and Lightning, but I feel like it makes more sense storywise to swap them. The scene that sets the stage for the time travel takes place at sundown, and the Naboris/Medoh mission happens at night, while the Ruta/Rudania one is during the day. Given that Hyrule isn't big enough to have more than one time zone, not to mention the location of the next major story battle, I feel like it's more logical to reverse the order. Plus, I needed Link to be at least somewhat prepared to have a time traveler already there, haha. So there you go!


	3. full of love

iii. full of love

Mipha spread the armor out on her worktable, carefully smoothing the sleeves with her hands. The luminous stones she'd set on either side of her white scale glowed softly up at her, mirroring the light of the larger one she'd kept from the festival held for her upon her appointment as Champion. That stone sat on this same table, a precious memento of a memorable night. But it was more than just that: it was also a source of motivation that kept her toiling away at this secret project that so far only her father knew about. After all, though he'd never spoken of it himself, she knew from other sources that Link had personally collected and delivered all the stones used in that celebration. It was little things like that that gave her hope, however fragile it felt at times, that her work wouldn't be in vain.

Which was all the more important now that it was done. Or nearly done, at least. She was fairly confident that it would fit Link well, but she couldn't be entirely sure unless he actually put it on. There was only so much one could do without exact measurements, after all, and there was no way to really get those from him without giving away her motives. His time spent in Zora's Domain had given him a decent grasp of their culture and many of their traditions, and if she remembered correctly, this was one of the ones he was aware of. Which had its pros and cons—on the bright side, if she gave it to him, she wouldn't have to explain what it meant. But on the down side, it made it difficult to tailor to him when all she had to go on was what her roving eyes captured in discreet moments when it didn't seem like she'd be caught. 

And sometimes, she had been. Mipha's face burned at the memories. Daruk, for one, seemed to be well aware of what was in her heart for her childhood friend. Impa, too, had made some pointed remarks on more than one occasion, and if Zelda and Urbosa's laughter in response was any indication, they were in on it too. It almost felt at times like everyone knew it. Everyone except, ironically, Link. Sweet, oblivious Link, who let her be flustered and awkward without ever pressing for an explanation. 

Although that did raise the question of whether or not he simply didn't want to address her behavior because it would make things awkward for _him_. Mipha's shoulders slumped. What if he... just didn't want to have the conversation that would result in him breaking his friend's heart? He spoke and smiled so rarely these days that it was hard to tell what he was really thinking. If eyes truly were the windows to the soul, as the Hylians were so fond of saying, than Link's were locked tight with shades drawn, preventing anything from being read there. If he merely pitied her and wanted to avoid having to explicitly turn her down, she would never know.

Maybe this _was_ a waste of time and effort. She sighed. Oh, what had she been thinking? For all her skill on the battlefield, she clearly had terrible ideas off it. This had been a doomed endeavor from the start. All this work, done over so many nights and stolen moments between battles, and what did she have to show for it? Useless armor that would never be worn by its intended recipient. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_.

Her eyes stinging and her hands shaking, Mipha snatched the armor up off her worktable and crossed the room to where her armoire sat. Down in the bottom drawer, beneath sashes and cords she rarely wore anymore, she folded and hid the ridiculous thing. Better for it to be somewhere she wouldn't have to look at it, after all.

Mipha's grip tightened on the drawer handle, and she would've slammed it shut out of anger at her own foolishness if a loud knock hadn't startled her before she could. “Sister? May I come in?”

“Of—of course, you—” Mipha's racing heart leapt into her throat as the door opened before she was even finished talking, and she ended up slamming the drawer shut anyway out of sheer panic. The armoire wobbled slightly as she jumped up and whirled around to face her unexpected guest. “Why, Sidon, what a lovely surprise... what brings you here?”

“... Is this a bad time?” Sidon frowned. “I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something important...”

“What? Oh no, not at all!” Mipha let out a laugh that sounded painfully forced, and she barely kept herself from wincing. “Nothing important at _all_ , don't worry about that... it's wonderful to see you.”

Sidon's gaze slid over to the armoire, then back to Mipha's face. “What were you doing before I came in here?”

“Nothing!” Mipha spread her hands, waving them frantically in front of herself. “I was only looking for—for—” Oh, _why_ was her brain stalling like this? _Now_ of all times!

“For... armor?” A knowing glint came into his eyes, and Mipha had to bite down on her lower lip to suppress a wail. Sidon, too? Was there _anyone_ besides Link who didn't know about her feelings? “I'm right, aren't I?”

Mipha buried her face in her hands. “... Who told you?” There was no point in hiding it, as much as she wanted to. 

“... You did. A long time ago. For me, anyway.”

There was something strange in his voice that made Mipha lower her hands and look up at him. Her heart thrummed as she saw the expression on his face; it was one she'd seen a few times before, during conversations they'd had recently, but she hadn't yet had the courage to ask him about it. “Sidon... what do you mean?”

“When I was very young, I caught you making it.” He smiled wistfully. “You didn't want to admit who it was for back then, either, but I pestered you until you did, as little brothers do.”

Mipha couldn't help it—she laughed. “That sounds right.” It was all too easy to imagine her brother in his younger days doing such a thing. “So I suppose that means its still a secret from everyone else?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Mipha sighed, not bothering to hide her immeasurable relief. “I am glad to hear that... I was beginning to think everyone knew about this little folly of mine.”

“Folly?” Sidon frowned again. “Sister, what are you talking about?”

“Isn't it obvious?” Mipha looked away. “There's no hope, Sidon... only a lie I told myself in the late hours of the night so I could continue to justify wasting my efforts on something pointless.”

“Is that what you really believe?”

“It's the truth.” Mipha wiped at her eyes. “A fact that I am becoming painfully aware of.”

“On what basis?” Sidon knelt down in front of her, giving Mipha a better look at the concern in his eyes. “What has you so convinced of this?”

“Oh, I don't know...” Her voice shook, and she hated herself for it. “Everything I see? I haven't seen a single thing to make me think that it could ever be otherwise.”

“A fair point. However...” Sidon reached out and gently took both her hands in his. “Have you stopped to consider that what you see may not be the entire truth?”

“I...” Mipha's eyes burned. “It's been so difficult to... that is... he's almost _impossible_ to read...” Some of her pent-up frustration leaked into her voice, and it made her sound pathetic to her own ears. “I can't figure out the _slightest_ thing...”

“Then how can you be so certain that you know what he's truly feeling? What he truly wants?” 

“Because I...” Mipha looked down again. “How could he ever—how could it ever be _me_?” 

“Stop that.” Sidon's voice hardened, and Mipha was startled to look back up at her brother's face and see anger there. “Don't _ever_ doubt that you are worthy of love. You—” He cut himself off, letting go of her hands and averting his eyes. “Forgive me, sister... I don't mean to snap at you, it is just... hard to hear you say such things about yourself.”

“Sidon...” Mipha's breath caught. What had he been through, in the time that he'd come from? A dark suspicion she'd had since he'd arrived was beginning to form into a horrible certainty with every moment like this. “It's fine, please don't worry about it.”

“I'll... try not to.” Sidon sighed. “But only if you make me a promise in return.”

“Me?” Mipha couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice. “What could I possibly promise you?”

“Only this.” Sidon took her hands again, and looked into her eyes with a serious expression on his face. “To do what you always told me: follow your heart, and be brave.”

Mipha's eyes widened and her stomach churned. “You—you mean... about the...”

“Yes.” He gave her the smallest of nods. “I want you to find happiness. And you won't achieve that by holding back.”

Mipha tilted her head. “Sidon? Do you... know something I don't?”

“Only that you deserve the world, dear sister.” He let go of her hands and rose to his feet. “But I've overstepped my bounds, and for that I apologize.” Sidon turned away. “I'll let you sleep now, for its late. Goodnight... and think about what I said.”

“Sidon, wait!” Mipha rushed forward as he started to walk away; he stopped, looking back over his shoulder. “I... I've been meaning to ask you about...” She drew a deep breath. “What you said when you first arrived in Vah Ruta... did you mean that I...”

“Don't ask me that.” His voice shook as he looked away from her again. “Please...”

“I remember what you said.” Mipha took another step forward. “You said you wouldn't allow that thing to take me _again_. What did you mean by that? Did I...” She swallowed hard. “In your time, was I... killed by it?”

There was a long silence. Then Sidon sighed, his shoulders slumping as he bowed his head and answered. “... Yes.”

“I...” Mipha's hands crept up over her mouth, fresh tears filling her eyes. She'd suspected it, of course, given his words in Vah Ruta and how close she'd been brought to death even with his intervention, but to have it outright confirmed was something else entirely. “Oh, Sidon... I'm so sorry...”

Sidon turned and knelt beside her again, and through her blurring vision she thought she saw tears in his eyes, too. “It wasn't your fault.”

“But I...” A low sob escaped her. “I left you all alone... I didn't come back, and you... you had to grow up without me...” She shook her head, the tears beginning to spill out. All she could think of was how small Sidon was now, so _young_ , and how he'd been that young when he'd lost her. One hundred years of grief... no wonder he behaved the way he did around her now. “I am so, so sorry...”

“It wasn't your fault,” Sidon repeated, even as he pulled her into a gentle hug. “No one, least of all me, has ever blamed you. It was the Calamity that stole you from us.”

“I—I know that. I do...” Mipha let out a small whimper, and wrapped her arms around Sidon. Oh, how strange it was still, to have her younger brother be so much bigger than her. “Sidon, whatever happens, please remember this: no matter how far apart we are, I will never stop watching over you, and I will always, always be proud of you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Sidon pulled back, and smiled at her through his own tears. “So please, sister... promise me to try and be happy now. No one deserves that more than you.”

Mipha managed a watery laugh. “Or you won't stop pestering me until I do, is that right?”

“Isn't that what younger siblings are for?” Sidon stood up again, and nimbly dodged Mipha's attempt to give him a light smack. “You might as well give in.”

“Incorrigible as always.” Mipha rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too. “ _Fine_. I'll do my best. Is that good enough?”

Sidon pretended to consider it. “I suppose it'll have to be.” He laughed when she pretended to glare at him. “In any case, though, I really should retire to bed... and so should you, you probably need all the sleep you can get after staying up late working on that armor.” 

Mipha opened her mouth to say something to that, her face burning with renewed embarrassment, but Sidon retreated from the room before she could, still laughing to himself. In his wake she buried her face in her hands, not sure whether she should scream, cry, or just give in and laugh too. She settled for a combination of the latter two, aware that it must look as strange and confusing as it felt and grateful no one was here to see her. 

When she finally regained control of herself, she wiped her face dry and began the process of removing her jewelry and Champion's sash. Sidon _did_ have a point about it being late and how many sleepless nights she'd spent working on that armor. The cool water of her sleeping pool felt marvelous against her scales, and between that and the tiring effects of the tears she'd shed it took no time at all for her to fall asleep.

\---

Lightning arced across the ground in a deadly sweep from a Wizzrobe's rod, but Mipha darted out of the way and soared up from a fountain she'd created right behind the monster. Taken by surprise, it had no defense against the swift stabs from her Lightscale Trident, and soon fell, its body crumbling into smoke before it even hit the ground. The job done, Mipha continued her headlong dash through the night.

It had been several days since the defeat of Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle, but there was still work to be done ridding the land of stragglers from his forces. Right now, one such horde had appeared in the Domain, alarmingly close to its heart, and the forces they had stationed in the area were so thin on the ground that they were having trouble maintaining the defenses. Or they had, until now. Her timely arrival had turned the tides for one of the two beleaguered captains, and would soon aid the other. Hopefully, that would be the last of the monsters.

Her mouth twisted in displeasure as she rounded a corner, though, having spotted what was giving the other captain so much trouble. A pair of silver Moblins were encroaching on the Zora soldiers, who were giving ground despite their best efforts at staying the tide of Lizalfos that were serving as backup. What a nuisance. Still, after everything she'd already faced, this seemed almost trivial in comparison.

As she leapt into the fray, she heard the soldiers cry out her name gratefully, the only hint the Moblins had before she struck that their foes now had backup. A sphere of water expanded in a wide area around her, enveloping monsters and allies alike; it provided much-needed healing to her fellow Zora, but the monsters were not so lucky. It tossed them into the air, exerting painful pressure on them and battering their bodies before slamming them back into the ground. And while they lay crumpled on the ground, dazed and defenseless, Mipha dove in and landed several successive blows on the Moblins that resulted in the immediate death of one. The other was soon swiftly flung into the air again by a towering column of water, and the sound of its bones snapping into pieces echoed slightly when it fell. What Lizalfos still stood turned tail at this and fled into the night.

“Lady Mipha!” The Zora captain she'd rescued from certain death rushed up to her, sounding more than a little out of breath. “Thank goodness you're here!”

“I came as soon as I could.” Mipha held her hands out so that she could heal the still-bleeding cut on his arm. “Is that all of them?”

“No, my lady.” He shook his head. “There is a Hinox close to the town, and Sir Link is fighting it alone.”

“Link? Link is—oh no!” Mipha's heart thudded in terror. “We must help him!”

Without waiting for the captain to follow Mipha took off, her feet splashing in the water left behind by her attacks on the defeated horde. Her only thought was to reach Link's side; as capable and strong as she knew he was, he was still only one man, and capable of sustaining fatal wounds. If she wasn't able to reach him in time to heal them—no, she couldn't think about that. She _would_ make it there before anything irreparable happened to him, and protect him the way he'd protected her, back in Vah Ruta. She had to. She would _not_ lose him.

A few scattered Lizalfos and Chuchus tried to bar her way, but Mipha struck them down with ease. They didn't matter to her, they couldn't allowed to keep her from Link. He had to be close now. She could see the towering structure of the palace in the distance, growing larger as every footstep brought her nearer. Any minute now, she would see Link as well. Any minute now.

As it turned out, though, he wasn't what she spotted first. Her horrified eyes instead took in the monstrous form of the Hinox she'd been told awaited her back here. And not just any Hinox, but one steeped in Malice, its enormous single eye peering balefully out of the sickening cloud of pink and black smoke that wreathed its head. That eye was locked on a much smaller figure on the ground below it: a Hylian man, wielding a sword. _Link_. He was favoring one leg, reducing the speed of his usually agile movements.

In a moment straight out of her worst nightmares, the Hinox ripped some sort of blade off the cord around its massive neck, and flung it straight at Link. He tried to dodge out of the way, and was mostly successful, but stepped wrong somehow and collapsed to his knees, a shout of pain escaping him. The Hinox licked its lips and wriggled its fingers, reaching out to grab him—

“No! I will not let you harm him!” Mipha launched herself forward, landing between Link and the Hinox, and brandished her trident. It gleamed in the light of the full moon over their heads for a split-second, just before she drove its tips into the beast's exposed eye as it bent down towards Link. It toppled backwards with a howl of agony, clutching its eye as it landed on the ground hard enough to send tremors through the earth. Conjuring another column of water, Mipha used it to propel herself high into the air, and spun towards the Hinox like a very sharp whirlwind. She struck it with her spear over and over, leaving gaping holes all over its bodythat bled Malice instead of blood, and only stopped when it pulled itself up off the ground and fixed her with a mad glare. Its eye was still intact, surprisingly, but just barely.

Behind her, she heard the clatter of metal on stone as Link struggled to his feet, still holding his sword. “Mipha...”

“Just stay back, Link! You mustn't get hurt again!” Mipha circled the Hinox, waiting for it to attack. It licked its drooling lips again, reminding her uncomfortably that they were reputed to eat people whole. It was clearly trying to bide its time and strike at the right moment, but so was she, and Mipha knew she was easily the smarter of the two. Hinoxes were excellent at brute force, but nowhere near as frighteningly intelligent as a Lynel. Still, they were no less of a threat, and she was all too aware of that. The bridge that led to her home was at the monster's back, and Link was injured behind her. She would have to be the one to dispatch this deadly foe, alone.

Her chance to strike again came swiftly—the Hinox, tired of trying to bait her into attacking first, curled one of its huge hands into a fist, and brought it down hard on the ground where Mipha had been standing a mere fraction of a second ago. The failed attempt left it wide open for her to swoop in and land a flurry of hits with her spear, which she did without hesitation. It crumpled to the ground again as she struck blow after blow, and Mipha saw another opening. Encapsulating it in water, she darted through it in every direction with great speed, mercilessly stabbing it with every pass. It gurgled and tried to howl in pain and rage, but the sound was drowned out by the liquid surrounding it. The water then transformed itself into a geyser shooting forth into the night sky, and Mipha leapt from the top of it, trident aimed with deadly accuracy at the Hinox's eye. This time it burst, leaving the gigantic body to crumble in on itself and implode in a burst of foul vapor. Mipha sagged with relief as it died, and immediately turned towards Link.

He hadn't moved far; he was sitting near the edge of the cliff, one hand clamped around what looked like a bad cut on his arm. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight. Just how long had this wonderful, reckless fool been fighting alone before she got there? Fighting alone to try and protect her home, no less, and all that lived there. His bravery and kindness were as dizzying as ever, but it didn't make it any easier to see him hurt like this. She started towards him, but was interrupted by footsteps pounding across the ground behind her. 

“Lady Mipha!” It was one of the Zora captains she'd aided earlier. “The monsters have all been routed. Your orders?”

“Report to my father and tell him what has happened here.” Mipha flexed her fingers, only now becoming aware of how painfully tight her grip had been on her spear. “I will stay here for the moment, to heal Link.”

“Understood, my lady!” 

She barely heard him, and didn't watch him run past her up the bridge; all her concern was for Link. Dropping her spear on the ground, Mipha rushed over to kneel at his side. His face was screwed up in silent pain, and her heart ached to see it. “I'm here,” she whispered as she gently lifted his injured leg to examine it. Nothing she could see, but then, sometimes the worst injuries were invisible. “I'll heal you. Where does it hurt?”

“There... the ankle, it—” Link's breath came out in a ragged hiss as Mipha's fingers found the source of his pain. She braced his leg with one hand, and let the other hover over it, concentrating hard. In seconds, her fingers began to glow with a soft, gentle light, small at first but steadily growing in size. His breathing seemed to calm as her magic flowed into his wound, repairing the unseen damage and soothing the pain, and he slumped with relief. “Thank you, Mipha...”

“I'm not done yet.” Letting go of his leg, she moved her attention next to his injured arm. She surveyed the cut with a frown before starting to remove his damaged vambrace. Mipha let out a sigh. “It does seem as though you think that just because you defeated the Calamity, you can afford to be careless in other battles...”

“No, I...” Link paused, wincing, as she rolled up his torn sleeve to a point above the thin slashes in his arm. “I didn't mean to, it just... happened...”

“Somehow, it always does.” Mipha positioned her hand over his wound, the other one holding his arm steady. “It's always been like this... back when we first met, it seemed like you had a new scrape or sprain to heal every time I saw you.” Despite herself, she couldn't help but smile slightly. “Do you remember?”

She looked up at him for an answer, and her breath stilled in her throat as she caught sight of his face, so clearly illuminated by the full moon that hung overhead. He was staring at _her_ , with the same wonder in his eyes that he'd had as a child every time she'd healed something for him. Her heart fluttered, and she hated it—hated the false hope that moments like these always briefly ignited. It didn't help that Link held her gaze for a moment that was just a little too long before nodding. “Of course I do.”

“I'm glad to hear it.” Her cheeks burning, Mipha returned her attention to the cuts on Link's arm. They had nearly vanished, with not even a scar left to mark where he'd been hurt. “Those days will always be a fond memory for me... even if I did spend so many of them getting you out of trouble.” 

She let go of his arm and folded her hands in her lap; Link spared a brief glance for the now-healed wound before looking back at Mipha. “... I'm sorry.”

“For what?” Mipha shook her head. “Link, I truly didn't mind healing you. I never have.”

“For worrying you.” He looked down. “For always being such a reckless idiot.”

“Link, no.” Mipha laid her hand gently on his arm, her pulse spiking at the feel of his skin under her fingers. “You are not an idiot. You _are_ reckless, yes, but I don't think it can be helped. It's simply what comes of being as brave and selfless as you are—you're always leaping headfirst into danger with no regard for your own safety, only the wellbeing of others. It's...” _The reason I fell in love with you._ “It's admirable, really, and I can't really fault you for it, in the end. It's what makes you who you are, in the very best way.”

Link seemed to blush at the unexpected compliment, even as guilt still brought shadows to his eyes. “It causes you so much worry, though...”

“It does, yes, but... as long as I can protect you, I don't mind that much.” Mipha tried to smile at him. “I have never objected to healing your wounds, only that someone inflicted them on you in the first place.”

“Well... maybe once things are calmed down, that can change.” Link shifted slightly. “I won't have to be fighting all the time anymore. Neither of us will.”

“Yes, that's true.” Mipha's heart lifted. “Perhaps you could start visiting the Domain again like you used to... I've missed being able to spend time with you outside of battle.”

“So have I.” The quiet admission made Mipha's breath catch. “It's... been too long.”

“That it has.” Mipha took her hand from his arm and returned it to her lap, her gaze dropping to her interlaced fingers. “It will be nice to spend some time together again like we used to all those years ago.”

“Yeah.” Link paused, and she heard him take a deep breath. “And... Mipha?”

“Yes, Link?” Mipha looked back up at him. “What is it?”

“You're...” His eyes darted away from her face, and then back to her, and then away again, his cheeks seeming to go pink. “You're the one who's admirable... and amazing... more than I could ever be. I've always...” He swallowed. “I've always thought so.”

“What? Oh, no, no, not at all...” Mipha waved her hands in front of herself, her heart thudding in her chest at his words. “I'm not that... you're too kind, Link, really...”

“No, you are.” Link shifted again, leaning his body more towards her. “You're the kindest person I've ever been lucky enough to meet, and I...”

“And you what?” Oh, it was _so_ hard to breathe with him so close like this! That settled it: he couldn't possibly be aware of her feelings for him. Link was many things, but cruel wasn't one of them. He would never torture her like this if he knew the effect he had on her. 

“Mipha, you...” His voice seemed to shake slightly. “I...”

He spoke so quietly that Mipha found herself tilting herself closer, just to be able to hear him. “What is it?”

Link didn't answer. For a moment, he just stared back at her. Then, his eyelids lowering, he leaned in closer, his mouth opening slightly. “I...”

And without stopping to think about it, Mipha acted—she met his lips with hers in a soft kiss, her own eyes drifting shut and her hand coming up to cup Link's cheek. He made a noise that sounded like a startled gasp, but wasted no time in returning the kiss. Shyly at first, tentatively, but then with a growing hunger that matched hers. A muffled sigh that swiftly turned into a moan escaped him as she deepened it, flicking her tongue between his parted lips; he brushed it with his just before she withdrew it, making her webbed toes curl with pleasure. They leaned into each other, and Mipha let her hand slide from his cheek down to his neck, a whimper bubbling up in her throat. Goddess, he tasted so _good_. She'd wondered, of course, but it hadn't prepared her for finding out. This wasn't just her fantasy, this was real. _Achingly_ real. She tugged his lower lip into her mouth, carefully sucking on it with only the slightest graze of her teeth, and he shuddered, his pulse throbbing frantically under her fingertips. Another small moan slipped out of him, and he placed his hand on her shoulder—

—and the spell broke. Mipha yanked herself back, eyes wide as she met his stunned gaze. At this distance it was impossible to tell whose breathing was louder. Especially when her heart was pounding so hard that she could barely hear her own voice over it when she finally spoke. “I... oh, oh, I'm—I'm so sorry, I...” She buried her face in her shaking hands and turned away, her cheeks burning. “I don't know what came over me, I... I didn't mean to... to...”

“... To what?” Was it her imagination, or did Link sound... hurt?

Slowly, slowly, her heart still hammering in fear and mortification, Mipha lowered her hands and dared to meet Link's eyes again. The look in them as he watched her stole her breath away, and it took what felt like forever for her to find her voice again. “To... force that on you...?”

Link shook his head. “No.” His voice dropped. “You didn't.”

Mipha's heart stuttered, and if she'd been standing her legs would've given out beneath her. “But I—I did, I—I misunderstood, I know you were trying to tell me something. Weren't you?” He nodded. “Then—then please go on, I...” She swallowed hard. “I promise I won't interrupt again.”

There was a lengthy silence as Link simply stared at her. It lasted so long, in fact, that Mipha began to wonder if he was going to say anything at all to her, ever again. But then he leaned forward just as he had right before she'd kissed him, so close that her limbs tensed up with an instinctive panic. His lips brushed her cheek, and she both felt and heard him take in a deep breath before he spoke in a low whisper. “I love you.”

Time seemed to stop; Mipha's entire body froze, save for her racing heart, as the words echoed through her reeling brain. Link pulled back, and she stared in shock at his face, his handsome, perfect face, still unable to move or think. “Wh...” The word died in her throat; she couldn't even manage a single syllable at this point, in this state.

“I love you.” Link repeated. He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed them. “That's what I was going to tell you before we kissed.” 

“I...” _Say something, anything! You can't leave him hanging like this..._ “I... I have... I have something to give you!” she blurted out. And then froze, because she hadn't expected that to be the first thing that came out of her mouth.

“... What?” Link blinked. He clearly hadn't expected it either. Mipha cursed inwardly. “You... what?”

_Oh, why did I say that? Of all the things I could've picked to respond with, to the thing I most wanted to hear from him... I picked that? Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ “I have something to give you,” Mipha said, struggling with the urge to cringe and hide her face again. Why _had_ she said such a thing? He must think the worst of her right now... her heart shriveled at the thought. “I've... I've been.... working on it for a while, and...” She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. “Will you come with me?”

That must have done the trick, because some of the bewilderment in his eyes faded and he nodded. “Yes.”

“Thank you.” She let got of his hand and stood up. Link rose beside her, and seemed to wobble slightly as he put his weight on the ankle he'd injured. Mipha laid her hands on his shoulders to steady him. “Are you all right to walk?”

“Yes.”

The words he'd said to her shone in his eyes like stars, and Mipha would've sworn she could feel the warmth radiating from them on her scales. He sounded as though he was only partly sure of where she was going with this, but trusted her completely nevertheless. She leaned up and pressed a small kiss to his cheek, and Link shivered. “Good. Let's go.”

She took one of his hands and led him along over the bridge. Link didn't resist, didn't speak; he merely allowed her to tug him down the paths through the grand city of the Zora. Late as it was, most were asleep already, and so they met no one on their way to their destination. Only once did he make a sound: a sharp intake of breath as he doubtlessly realized exactly where she was leading him. 

“... Mipha?”

“Shhhh.” She let go of his hand and turned to face him. “Close the door. I'll get the... what I made for you.”

He complied, and she crossed the room swiftly, her gaze locked on the bottom drawer of her armoire. Mipha knelt in front of it and began to carefully remove the things she'd stacked on top of the armor. Her fingers trembled as she touched it; for so long, she'd doubted that making it was a good idea, but now, now, just when she had begun to give up hope, Link had once again surprised her. 

“I know this seems very forward to Hylians.” Mipha closed the drawer and stood up, the armor clutched in her hands. “But it is Zora tradition to do things this way.”

“I like Zora traditions.” She heard him shuffle his feet back and forth. “I've always felt more at home here than anywhere else.”

“That is... good to hear.” Taking a deep breath and praying for courage, Mipha turned and walked back to where Link stood, waiting. His gaze was drawn to the bundle in her arms, and she saw his eyes widen. “Here.” Hoping that her voice would remain steady through what she said next, she held the armor out to him. “It... may not fit perfectly just yet, there are probably adjustments I still have to make... but most importantly, I... I would be honored if you would wear this.”

Link's hands closed over hers, and Mipha's heart skipped a beat as he smiled softly. “There's nothing I want more.”

Her throat tightened. “Link... I...”

Whatever she would have said next flew out of her mind as Link let go of her hands and lifted his Champion's tunic up over his head. Mipha's eyes widened until they hurt, heat rushing through her and her heart thumping at the sight of him bare to the waist. In her shock she almost dropped the armor, but Link took from her and slipped it on. “How does it look?”

“It's...” Mipha's eyes stung. “It's _perfect_...” She could see where she would have to tailor it a little more—a surprisingly small amount, all things considered—but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he was wearing it. After all this time, Link was wearing _her armor_ , that she'd crafted for him. Not bothering to fight the tears, she stepped closer and laid a hand on his chest, where her precious white scale gleamed back at her from its setting. “You know what this means, right? To wear this?”

Link gently cupped her face in one hand, tilting it up as he leaned down. His lips brushed hers ever so slightly, sending tremors through her whole body. “I do.”

“Link, I...” Her voice shook, and for the first time she didn't care. It was freeing, she realized dimly in the back of her mind, so _freeing_ to finally let herself be vulnerable with him, instead of always having to guard her true feelings and make sure they didn't show. “I love you... I always have, and I always will...”

“And I love you, Mipha.” This time it was his turn to kiss _her_ , with a tenderness that brought fresh tears springing to her eyes. Her knees wobbled, but Link's strong arms encircled her and kept her upright even as she felt like she would melt from the heat of his kiss. She clung to him, her fingers sliding into his hair and up his back, and she would never be sure which of them was trembling more. All she knew was the utter joy of this moment, so long waited and hoped for, yet never truly believed to be a possibility until this very second.

In another time—another world—the Calamity had stolen this from them.

But here, now... a different story could be told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for this story! My warmest, warmest thanks to everyone who's followed along and commented, it truly means the world to me. My next major project will be an Over the Garden Wall AU with characters from all over the Zelda series, and will definitely feature the Miphlink pairing. I hope you'll join me for that too!


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